Selective electric control for bomb racks



4 1,504,718 H. o. RUSSELL ET AL SELECTIVE ELECTRiO CONTROL FOR BOMB RACKS Filed April 13; 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WM/VM attoznzq Aug.

H. O. RUSSELL ET AL S ELECTIVE ELECTRIC CONTROL FOR BOMB RACKS Filed April 18, 1922,

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 12 1924. 1,504,718

H. O. RUSSELL ET AL SELECTIVE ELECTRIC CONTROL FORBOMB RACKS Filed. Apr i1 1a, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 @faz-Z 6.517 e 721217 a Aug. 12 1924. 1,504,718

H. o. RUSSELL ET AL SELECTIVE ELECTRIC CONTROL FOR BOMB RACKS Filed April 18, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet Zlgvuwtoz I Z 2 07 Z azizfiz mzz zzf Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT O. RUSSELL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND CHARLES LEIGH PAULUS, 0F

DAYTON, OHIO.

SELECTIVE ELECTRIC CONTROL FOR BOMB RACKS.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 555,420.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERBERT O. RUSSELL and CHARLES LEIGH PAULUS, citizens of the United States, residin respectively, at Detroit and Dayton, in t e counties of Wayne and Montgomery and States of Michigan and Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Selective Electric Controls for Bomb Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical control mechanism for bomb racks, the object in view being to provide'an apparatus of the character referred to for selectively releasing bombs from the bomb rack of an airplane or other aircraft, the mechanism providing for releasing a train of bombs one at a time or at regular intervals, or a salvo of bombs. In the latter case while it is not practicable to drop all at the sameinstant, the bombs follow each other in rapid suc cession.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construc- .tion, combination and arrangement herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Iligure 1 is a view in elevation of the bomb rac Figure 2 is a cross section through the same taken in line with the core of the controlling solenoid.

Figure 3 is a fore and aft section through one of the streamline members of the craft showing the safety device.

Figure 4 is a face view of the switch board.

Figure 5 is a section at the switch board taken on the line A-A of the Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an end view of the same.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the form of slot or guideway in the train switch.

Figure 8 is a similar view of the slot or guideway in the salvo switch.

Figure 9 is a diagram of the wiring system.

Figure 10 is an elevation of a bomb rack adapted to carry both large and small bombs.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the same.

Referring primarily to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the bombs one of which is shown at 1 are suspended from the streamline hanger member 2 containing a han er 1 rail 2' by means of independently releasa 1e hooks 3, the latter being pivoted to the hangerat 4. The point of each hook fits in a notch in a bracing member 5 when the hook is closed'so as to relieve the hook of part of the strain. A locking lever or trigger 6 is used inconjunction with each hook 3 and is provided with a tooth or lip Tadapted to engage a co-acting tooth or lip 8 on the hook when closed in order to secure the latter in bomb-holding position. I

A rotatable shaft 9 extends along the hanger member 2 and is journalled in bearings 10 therein. The shaft carries a series of cams 11 mounted thereon so as to rotate with and be actuated by the shaft, there being a cam disposed above each hook. The peripheral edge ofeach cam works in a notch 12 in the corresponding trigger 6. The offset portion 13 of the cam is adapted to trip the trigger when moving through the notch therein so as to throw the trigger to hook-releasing position. The offset portions 13 of the series of cams on the shaft 9 are set a certain number of degrees apart in order that the bombs will be released in succession instead of simultaneously which would bring too much load to bear upon the shaft at one time.

In order that any desired bomb may be attached to its respective hook of the rack independently of the other bombs, the cam 11 for each bomb hook is mounted for limited longitudinal play on the shaft 9 but is incapable of rotation with respect to the shaft. A compression spring 14 normally maintains each cam in engagement with a stop 15 on the shaft shown. in the form of a collar fastened to the shaft which will sustain the end thrust of the cam when the offset portion thereof is operating the corresponding trigger. However, by manually turning the trigger to-an inoperative position, the cam will be shifted away from the stop 15 due to the yielding of the spring on the opposite side of the cam. The hook may be opened for attaching the bomb and then restored to its closed position. The spring 14 will return the cam to its normal operative position against the stop.

A pawl and ratchet mechanism 16' and 16' is disposed at some convenient location on the shaft 9 and is adapted to convert reciprocatory movement of the core 17 of a solenoid 18'into a step-by-step rotative movement of the shaft- 9. The ratchet contains zx has a tooth for each cam and in addition thereto a tooth for a safety position of the shaft in which latter position all of the bomb hooks will i be locked. The shaft is set in this neutral or salety position before the bombs are attached by means of the safety device 18 in Figure 3. llhe arrangement of the allel with the circuit and also through an interrupter 19. The circuit is shown in Figure 9 which is a diagrammatic view of the wiring of the control system. We make use of two control switches 20 and 21 which are connected with a source of current 22 and with the solenoid 18 in such a manner that one switch will, when closed, impart a single impulse to. the core and cam shaft, whereas the other switch will bring the inteirupter 19 into action and cause a. series of motive impulses, one for each step of the ratchet movement, to be imparted to the shaft.- The former may be termed the train switch and the other the salvo switch. An electromagnet safety lock 23 is provided for the bomb releasin mechanism and is connected in parallel wit the circuit of the solenoid 18. A safety switch 24 is used to close the circuit through a safety lock at the will of the'operator.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the control switches are shown in detail. The train switch has a large button25 adapted to be pressed inan axial direction into the hous- 'ing of the switch to close the switch and drop one bomb. A coiled torsion spring resists such movement of the button 25 and also tends to rotate the button in its housing during such axial movement.

a con uctor of electricity and is connected with a binding post 27. It has a tubular contact 28 adapted to engage a plug contact 29 insulated from the button andconnected with a binding post 30. This contact will occur when the button is pressed. A. spring pressed pin 31 mounted in the housin is adapted to work in a cam slot 32 in the cy 'ndrical surface of the button.' The location and formation of the slot 32 is illustrated The button is means through a partial rotation each time the button is pressed. This causes the indicator hand 33 on the head or face of the button to traverse a circular scale in' the face of the switch board 34 as shown in Figure 4 bearing indicia representing the number of bombs that still remain in the rack. The hand 33 will thus move step by step from one number to the other, in inverse numerical order, as from 10 to 9 to 8, etc. A notch 35 is provided in alternate legs of the slot 32 to receive the end of the pin 31 and prevent retrograde movement of the button when it is pressed by the operator even to a very sli ht extent. Thus when the button is partia-ly pressed it cannot return to its original position until it has passed through a complete cycle of operation. Pressure on the button is continued by the operator until the button reaches the limit of its movement. On each complete movement of the button a bomb is dropped. The end of the pin 31 is bevelled so that it will leave the notch 35 when the button is forcibly moved in the proper direction.

- The salvobutton is similar in construction except as to the form of cam slot. The development of this slot is illustrated in Figure 8 and is of such form that the button has one step of rotary movement. .This is due to the fact that a single impulse-releases the entire series of bombs through the action of the interrupter 19 of the solenoid. The interrupter is actuated by a projection 34 on the core of the solenoid which actuates the interrupter bar 35 in turn acting upon a contact spring 36 causing the current to be interrupted and causing the reciprocatory movement to be imparted to the core 17 of the solenoid. I

The circuits of the electrical wiring system will now be traced. When the train switch 20 is operated, the current passes from the battery 22 through wire 37 and switch 20 which is closed out through wire 38 through the coil of the solenoid 18 then through wire 39 through which the current 7 returns to the battery 22.

When the salvo switch 21 is closed, the

current from the battery 22 passes through wire 37 and wire40throu h the closed salvo switch 21 and then'throug -wires 41, 42 and 43, to wire 44, thence through the coil of the solenoid 17 and out through wire 45, returning through wire 39 to the battery 22.

When the safety switch 24 is closed concurrently with the closing of the salvo.

switch 21, the salvo circuit functions and in addition thereto current from the battery:

22, passes through wire 37 past the train switch 20 which is open, throughiwire 40,

thro clo safety switch 34, wire 47, through the coil 0 h the salvo switch which is now 1 the safety lock 23 out through wire 45 and and thence through wires 41, 4t?

thence through wire 39 back to the batter 22. a I

hi1 Figures 10 and 11 we have illustrated a construction especially adapted forheavier bombs as well as light bombs. In the lighter bombs only one lug is provided on the bomb and therefore only one hook is necessary for each bomb. Where larger bombs are used, the latter are provided with two lugs and in such case the rack will be provided with a pair of hooks 48 pivotally mounted on the hanger bar-as shown vin Figure 10 and coupled together by a connecting bar 49. The bar 49 is held in bomb-holding position by means of a trigger 50 having a lip 51 engaging a shoulder or lip 52 on the connecting bar 49. The lever 50 is of the bell crank type and is connected pivotally to another bell crank lever 53 having a notch 54 which receives a cam 55 on the rotatable cam shaft 56 as shown in Figure 11. The same principle is embodied in the structure shown in Figures 10 and 11 as in Figures 1, 2, and 3. The construction described in connection with Figures 10 and 11 enables both large and small bombs to be carried in the same rack.

We claim 1. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a bomb-supporting hook, a trigger for locking said hook, and a rotary cam shaft having a cam to operate said trigger to release the hook, said cam being movable longitudinally of said shaft.

2. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a bomb-supporting hook,

a trigger for locking said hook, a'cam shaft and a cam rotatable with said shaft to operate said trigger to positively release the hook, said cam being movable longitudinally of the shaft in one: direction to admit of manual movement of the trigger to enable a bomb to be placed on the hook.

3. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a bomb-supporting hook, a trigger for locking said hook, a cam shaft, and a cam rotatable with said shaft to operate said trigger to positively release the hook, said cam being movable longitudinally of the shaft in one direction to admit of manual movement of the trigger to enable a bomb to be placed on the hook, a stop collar on the shaft at one side of the cam, and yieldablc means to hold the cam against said collar. 4. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a series of bomb-supporting hooks, a trigger for each hook, and a rotary cam shaft having an operating cam for each trigger, said cam being movable longitudinally of said shaft.

5. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a series of bomb-sup-.

porting hooks, a trigger for each hook, and a rotary camshaft having an operating cam movable longitudinally of said shaft against resilient holding means and means for imparting a step by step rotative movement tosaid shaft.

7 In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a series of bomb-supporting hooks, a trigger for each hook, and a rotary cam shaft having an operating cam for each trigger, said cams being set to operate the triggers successively, and electrical means for turning said shaft with a step by step movement, said cams being movable longitudinally of said shaft against resilient holding means.

8. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a series of bomb-supporting hooks, a trigger for each hook, and a rotary cam shaft having an operating cam for each trigger, said cams being set to operate the triggers successively, and electrical means for turning said shaft with a step by step movement, said electrical means comprisin solenoid and pawl and ratchet elements, sai

cams being movable longitudinally of saidshaft against resilient holding means.

9. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a series of-bomb-supporting hooks, a trigger for each hook, and a rotary cam shaft having an operating cam for each trigger, said cams being set to operate the triggers successively, and electrical means for turning said shaft with a step by step movement, the last named means including a solenoid, transmission means operated by said solenoid to rotate said shaft, and a 1 switch-controlled circuit including said solenoid, said cams being movable longitudinally of said shaft against resilient holding means. I

10. In combination with a bomb-support- 115 .ing frame member, a series of bomb-supporting hooks, a trigger for each hook, and a rotary cam shaft having an operating .cam for each trigger, said cams being set to operate the triggers successively,'and electrical means for turning said shaft with a step by step movement, the last named means including a solenoid, transmission means operated by said solenoid to rotate said shaft, and a switch-controlled circuit includin said solenoid, and an interrupter in said circuit.

11. In combination with a bomb-supporting frame member, a series of bomb-supporting hooks, a trigger for each hook, anda rotary cam shaft having on operating cam for each trigger, said cams being set to operate the triggers successively, and electrical means for turning said shaft with a step by step movement, the last named means including a solenoid, transmission means operated by said solenoid to rotate said shaft,

an electric circuit in which said solenoid is included, a train switch in said circuit, and

a salvo switch also in said circuit. 10

In testimony whereof We affix our signs,-

tures.

HERBERT O. RUSSELL.

CHARLES LEIGH PAULUS. 

